Locked Out
by Kayichi
Summary: When Kagome returns home to prepare for a huge exam things start deteriorating among the rest of the gang. Inuyasha follows her to get her to return and fix things but what happens when they cant get back.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha 

This is only my second fic so no flames please. I mean if you hate it tell me but…anyway. Lets see how I do with this.

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Kagome stretched and yawned. With a clear blue sky above her and the rich green grass under her, all she wanted to do was sleep. The relaxed feeling of the hot day was enough to wipe the intense happenings of the last while from her mind. She looked to her left and saw Inuyasha reclining on the ground looking more serene than she had ever seen him. Miroku was on the other side of Inuyasha looking grumpy with a large goose egg on the side of his head where Sango had hit him.

To her right was Sango looking as equally grumpy as Miroku. Miroku's wandering hands was something she knew her beautiful black haired hated. At least Sango wasn't as bad as some of the girls they had met in the villages they had gone through. She had to admit though that Miroku had charm; for a perve.

She leaned her head back on her crossed arms and sighed. No matter how beautiful the day she couldn't stop worrying. Naraku was still out there making more powerful demons, the shards of the shikon jewel were still lost somewhere and then there was school work.

She had a huge end of semester exam coming up that she wasn't nearly prepared for and here she was lazing about in Feudal Japan. There was a light thumping from behind her and she turned to see Shippo running towards them on all fours. At first she was alarmed but then she saw the purple butterfly flying in front of the small fox demon.

She smiled to herself and relaxed again. She closed her eyes and sank into a light sleep that swam with pictures of bright purple butterflies always fluttering just out of reach. As she sank into a much needed sleep her dreams turned foul. She was chasing a butterfly across a seemingly endless field when suddenly it began to change its form till a ten foot demon stood in front of her. A figure materialized from behind the demon all in white. Naraku!

She reached behind her for an arrow and her bow but no familiar wood met her fingers. The demon roared and shot a blast of flame into the strangely dark sky. Naraku laughed evilly and walked towards her. She tried to run but found her feet stuck.

"You will never pass Kagome," he called to her, face hidden by the white monkey mask.

"NO," she screamed as a horrible fear seized her that had nothing to do with Naraku. Suddenly she found herself sitting but not on the ground; in a desk! The horrible flame spitting demon lumbered towards her and said, "Here you go Kagome," in a slightly familiar voice.

A sheet of paper suddenly appeared in front of her and a pen in her hand. Naraku had disappeared altogether. She looked down hesitantly to see the stretch of white paper that spilled over the edge of the desk and rolled off into the grass for as far as she could see. The questions were in black ink and stood out sharply in her sight.

All of them could have been in a different language for all the sense they made. She felt a crystalline tear slide down her cheek at the impossible problems she had to find answers for.

"Looks like those friends from Feudal times aren't much help," the fire demon laughed cruelly and she remembered who's voice it sounded like; her principal.

"How do you know about them?" she asked incredulous her fear growing. "Only my family knows. How do you know I have friends from Feudal Japan?"

"I am a principal," the demon laughed evilly. "I know everything. I know that you didn't study so I have to give you a F." A giant red letter 'F' appeared on the paper and she screamed as if mortally wounded. She started to shake horribly as the demon principal threw its scabby head into the air and laughed loud and long and slightly maniac-like.

She started to shake more and more as her vision turned black. It felt like she was being hauled through heavy black water by a rope attached under her arms. She cried out in pain and frantic despair…and opened her eyes.

Five worried faces were peering into hers and it had been Inuyasha who had been shaking her so roughly.

"You OK Kagome?" Sango asked the worry obvious in her pretty voice.

"Yeah," she said sitting and rubbing her head. "Just a bad dream…"

"Oh well that's no big then," Inuyasha said and moved off.

She glared at him and recalled the whole dream to Sango, Shippo, Miroku and Kilala who seemed interested. They all looked a little confused at the end but sympathetic.

"Maybe you should go home to study then," Sango said slowly. "We wouldn't want you to fail this exam."

"Yeah I guess you're right," she said. The day no longer seemed as bright or as warm even though barely half an hour had passed. "I need to go back home."

"You can't," Inuyasha said. His back was turned to her so she couldn't see the expression on his face.

"Oh? And who made _you_ boss?"

"I made myself boss. I'm the one in charge of this search for the shards and I say you can't go back. We need to find the rest before Naraku does."

"You aren't my mother," Kagome said angrily standing up and propping her hands on her hips. "You don't get to tell me what to do. I HAVE to go home."

He turned to face her scowling. "Slacker."

"Bossy."

"Pushy."

"Rude."

"Stupid."

She slapped him. "At least I'm not obnoxious," she snarled, turned and stormed down the road. She said good-bye to the rest as she walked by. She was so enraged as she stomped down the road to the wood where the well was that she failed to see the black face watching her from up in a tree.

She swung her legs into the well muttering about rude half-demons with heads the size of full grown pumpkins. She looked into the dried up well and pushed herself off the edge.

She fell through the empty air and the brief feeling of disorientation touched her mind before she found herself at the bottom of the same well in her time. She scrambled out of the Bone-eater well still muttering. She exited the shrine and was immediately drenched by a heavy rain. She scowled and muttered to herself about the rain and Inyuasha and anything else she felt like picking on as she slouched through the rain. Finally she reached her house and burst through the front door hair lank and clothes looking like they had been swam in.

Immediately her mother was there with a armful of towels. "Hi honey!"

"Hi mom."

"I'm glad you're back. That demon of a principal of yours has been calling every day to see if you are 'better' yet."

Kagome shivered slightly and it wasn't from the water trickling down her spine. "Well, I'm back but lets not tell him I'm better until I've completely caught up."

"Alright. Do you feel like a shower or something to eat first. We finished eating half an hour ago but there is some leftovers if you feel like something warm."

"Yes please mom but I think I'll have a long shower first. I fell horribly dirty and cold."

"Ok dear. I'll warm your dinner up when I hear the shower turn off."

Kagome walked slowly into her bedroom and from there into her bathroom. She ran some hot water and turned the shower on. She stepped in and relaxed for the second time that day. The warm water was much nicer than the cold rain and she must have stayed in there for an hour. She washed her hair at least four times and her body twice. It felt so good to be clean and the smell of body wash and shampoo was as nice to her nose as music was to deprived ears.

She finally left the bathroom wearing her softest pj's and with her semi-wet hair in a loose pony tail.

She sighed deeply as she stepped into the comfortable warmth of her bedroom. The smells of warming food wafted to her nose and her stomach grumbled loudly. She smiled as she padded down the hall to the kitchen.

Home at last.

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Its not very long or very good but it kinda gets the idea across. Anyway i would love it if people would review. Thanx


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

Thank you to my two reviewers gerlert-fav2005 and BlueStone Of 22 9er. I'm so happy that you liked it and I'm even more pleased that I made your top five gerlet-fav2005. I'm going to try to make this story not so cliche but I would appreciate it if you would tell me how I'm doing. I hope this chapter is OK.

Read on friends, read on!!!

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"This is hopeless!" Kagome yelled at the mass of papers, pencils, pens and text books. she had been studying for a week and it felt like she had gained nothing. Her principal now knew that she was 'on the mend' and would be able to make the exam date.

She had gotten into the habit in the last three days of throwing offending items across the room when she got frustrated. Her brother, Sota, had taken to hiding behind the nearest furniture when he saw she was getting angry. She shook her head and tried to focus on the words in front of her nose.

"The numbers, when you multiply, always are... the numbers, when you multiply...the numbers when ...the numbers..." she muttered aloud as she read and reread the same part of the sentence over and over again. None of it was going in thought so she decided it was about time for a snack.

Her mom was at work, Sota was at school and her grandpa was in the back room puttering with his ancient thingies. Kagome yawned and stretched. Pushing her chair back she shuffled over to the fridge and began rummaging through it. She resurfaced a moment later with some leftovers. She shoved them unceremoniously into the microwave and waited impatiently for them to heat.

When they were she got chopsticks and wandered through the house till she came to her bedroom. She had placed the few shards of the Shikon Jewel on her desk where she could see them every night as she fell asleep. She was missing Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kilala terribly and wishing she could ditch her studying, ditch her school and just move into the past.

But no such luck. She didn't want to create a time paradox and the only way to do that was to not spend too much time in the past. That didn't stop her from wanting to though.

She stared at the shards for a moment feeling very dejected and lonely. With a huge sigh she returned to her books but didn't study. Instead she looked blankly out the window at a little bird in the courtyard.

I wonder what the others are doing right now, she thought wistfully.

MEANWHILE

"Is she ever coming back?" Shippo asked hanging over the edge of the Bone-eaters well as if hoping that because he was watching Kagome would magically appear.

"Of course she if Shippo. She'll be back as soon as she has done her exam...whatever an exam is." Miroku said leaning against a tree and closing his eyes.

"But it's been a week already!" Shippo argued red hair bouncing as he rocked back and fourth.

No one replied. Inuyasha scowled at the little Fox demon and stood up. "Well I don't know about you but I'm going to go to Kaede's to get something to eat," he said stretching. He walked off not bothering to wait for a reply. Sango stood up and followed him after a long look at the empty well. Like the ever faithful puppy Miroku got up as well.

Kilala nudged Shippo gently with its small wet nose and Shippo also followed Inuyasha in the direction of Kaede's small house.

He couldn't help looking back over his shoulder at the well until it disappeared around a corner. Kilala nudged him again and they ran to catch up with the others. It bugged him to no end how Inuyasha could be. He wouldn't go get Kagome after he tries to force her to stay. In Shippo's mind that was as good as shoving Kagome away. They all knew how individual she was and that she didn't like being one-upped by anyone never mind obnoxious Inuyasha.

He kicked a small pebble into the grass along the edge of road and sighed. "Maybe she'll never come back," he said but no one replied. They just kept walking. He frowned but didn't press the subject.

Quiet quickly they came in view of the village with its curling of delicate smoke leaving the little chimneys and the little kids running around. Animals wandered among the people and the general sound of laughter met their ears. They didn't go right into the village but turned right to the small house that was Kaede's. It was slightly removed from the village for some reason but it was also neater and felt more welcoming.

They pushed through the sheet over the door and went and sat beside the one-eyed old lady. "Ah. Hello."Kaede said in the familiar rough voice. "But where is Kagome?"

Gets right to the point of the matter, Shippo thought and listened for the answer.

"She went home to study for an exam," Sango said. "We don't know what an exam is so we don't know what she has to do with the exam but it's pretty important...the exam." Shippo guessed that Sango liked the word 'exam' and basically took any excuse to say it ...over and over and over again.

"She had a pretty bad dream right before she left," Miroku offered sitting on the wood floor next Sango.

Inuyasha didn say anything but the sour look on his face gave him away.

"Ye really need to stop arguin' with her Inuyahsa. She has a differen' life than we have and she needs time for that other life," Kaede said. "Ye can appreciate that cant you?"

He grumbled and his frown deepened. "What's for breakfast?" was all he said rather rudely.

The old lady sighed and filled a small bowl with steamed rice. "Say please," she ordered.

"No. Gimme." He made a grab for the bowl but Kaede pulled it out of reach easily.

"Say please!"

"No!

"Yes."

"No. I'm hungry so gimme."

"Rude half-demon," Kaede frowned. "SAY PLEASE."

"FINE. PLEASE," he hollered.

"Be nice about it."

He growled angrily and didn't say anything. Kaede passed the bowl and some chopsticks to Sango who immediately started eating. She did likewise to Miroku, Shippo and even Kilala.

Inuyasha grumbled under his breath looking thoroughly ticked off.

"Say it louder," Kaede said and Shippo almost laughed. This was the kind of thing you would expect from Kagome but it was definitely entertaining.

"Please," he muttered.

"Again," Kaede said tone indifferent.

"Please," Inuyasha said in a tight voice.

"Good dog. Here," Kaede said handing the fuming Inuyasha a bowl of rice.

He wolfed it down still looking grumpy and ticked off. As soon as he was done he stood and stomped out side.

"Say thank you," Kaede called after him.

"THANK YOU," he hollered back.

They only had to wait an hour before Inuyasha returned looking, if possible, more grumpy than before.

"What's wrong Inuyasha?" Sango asked tone normal though she was tempted to laugh.

"No place to vent frustration around here," he muttered.

"Oh? How so?" Miroku asked.

"I almost got run over by some kid joy riding, then I stepped in the beasts leavings, then I almost head butted by some run away goat and then the fish wouldn't leave me alone when I went swimming."

"Aw. Pour Inuyasha," Sango said the laughter starting to edge through her voice.

He glared at the black haired demon-slayer and turned away.

"How long has Kagome been gone?" Kaede asked suddenly.

"One week," Shippo answered quickly. "I don't think she'll be coming back. I think she's just going to stay in exam forever!"

"Oh will you shut up about that Shippo," Inuyasha yelled. "Who cares if she comes back or not? Like ol' one-eye said, she has a life of her own."

"Don't say that," Shippo yelled back tears stinging his eyes.

"I'll say whatever I please! She probably won't come back. And even if she did it wouldn't be for you!"

That was enough. "I HATE YOU!" Shippo yelled and ran from the house. "I'll never go back," he said to himself as he tore away on all fours. Tears ran from his face and he refused to look back which was probably why he didn't see the little black face on the edge of the roof with a wide black toothed smile on its ugly pinched face.

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So thats it. I will update as soon as I have at least four reviews for this chapter. I hope you liked it. (I actually have the next chapter done so as soon as I have those reviews I will update)

Press that little button down there and be closer to the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

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"Now look what you did Inuyasha!" Sango yelled feet and body set in an aggressive stance. She felt like something in her was breaking and fracturing all over the place. Kagome was gone and now Shippo was gone too.

"I didn't do anything!" Inuyasha yelled back. "Shippo was making a big deal out of nothing and it was his choice to run off."

"You know how much Kagome means to Shippo, Inuyasha." Miroku said standing beside Sango. "It wasn't nice to say those things to him."

"Who said I was nice," Inuyasha asked a mean edge touching his voice. "I don't care if either of them ever come back."

He turned away from them muscles tense and body ridged.

Sango sighed audibly. Shippo had run off and Kagome had gone home for exam. Now Inuyasha was being cruel and basically ignoring them as much as he could. She and Miroku were still the same but how long would it take before they too broke apart.

Then the unbelievable happened. Miroku's perverted hands wandered! She turned and hit him so hard he reeled.

"If you ever do that again I'll kill you," she screeched and stormed out. She was now of the same mind as Shippo. Get away from Inuyasha and Miroku as fast as humanly possible. She ran down the road glad that she was wearing her dragon-slayer get up and not the kimono she usually wore.

She ran back towards the well then changed course abruptly. She knew that was where Shippo would have ran and she didn't feel like talking to him. Instead she wandered through the forest. I won't go back, she vowed. If they want me back then they can come look for me.

With that thought she relaxed to enjoy the smells of the forest. Something rustled above her and she looked up and behind her. She glimpsed something black dodge behind a clump of leaves. A second later a series of rustles told her whatever it was, was jumping from tree to tree.

Something was up, she knew. Something unnatural was making the gangs moods turn foul and for them to say and do things they wouldn't normally. Someone was purposely trying to split them apart but what was the motive and were they all falling into an intricately laced trap.

MEANWHILE

Kagome bent her head over her math text book. She finally felt like she was getting some of the things she was supposed to. The math rules and formulas were finally getting stuck in her head instead of going in one eye and out the other to remain on the page.

She was actually proud of herself. She could quote straight out of the book for math and she could write the formula's for all the equations without looking at her textbook. She was having a little bit of a harder time with the other subjects but she was getting there. She found that the deeper she delved into her studies the more she could ignore thoughts of her friends in the past.

She smiled as her brother came in and put his hands on the back of her chair. He peered over her shoulder at the books.

"Want some help Kags?"

"No thanks Sota. I'm doing fine. Thanks for offering."

"You're welcome. Mom said to tell you dinner will be done in twenty."

"Ok. Thanks."

Kagome was really enjoying being at home; hot baths every night, hot food every morning and evening, electricity, a comfortable bed and company that weren't always arguing. But no matter how hard she tried she couldn't help missing her disagreeable friends in the past.

Her exam was the next day and she promised herself she would go back as soon as she got the results. She knew she wasn't going to ace her test but she was pretty confident she would at least pass. She pulled the books for one of the subjects she was having difficulties with towards her.

She buried herself in it till dinner and then for another two hours afterwards. She went to sleep that night almost looking forward to the exam the next day.

The next morning dawned bright and sunny with birds flitting joyously in the sky. She took it as a good luck symbol. On her way to school she unintentionally passed by the ancient tree she had freed Inuyasha from. She felt a tear form in her eye and quickly brushed it away. She would be going back soon but two whole weeks away from him was almost unbearable.

She shook her head and ran down the road. It took her fifteen minutes to get to her school. The people passing her called 'hello' in greeting and the odd, 'glad you're feeling better'. She waved back cheerfully and made her way through the crowd to the front doors. The halls beyond were just as crowded but everyone seemed to be going in the same direction so she let herself be swept along. The room designated for the exams for her grade was on the second floor so she turned off onto the stairs and joined in the flow going up.

After five long minutes she made it to the large exam room and sat down in a desk at the back. She hadn't brought anything but a pencil and eraser with her to school.

The room slowly filled up and when the bell rang it was entirely full. The principal walked in a moment later and said the five words she had dreaded since her nightmare. "I'll be supervising this exam."

He passed out the test and ordered silence. Kagome looked down at the first part of the test. Luckily it was the subject she had trouble with. Since the information from the night before was so clear in her mind, the answers came easily.

Some of the questions stumped her so she did the best she could and finished just as the little bell was rung by her principal for the end of the first exam. He collected them and passed out the next. And so it went for the next three hours. The last subject was math which, again, was lucky.

She stretched as the final bell was rung and the principal collected the tests. She put her much depleted pencil in her purse and headed for the door. She took the bus home instead of walking.

Her mum, grandpa and brother were all waiting anxiously in the kitchen when she got home.

"How'd it go?" her mom asked.

"I think it went well."

"Did you pass?" asked Sota.

"I don't know..."

"Was it hard?" her grandpa asked.

"Not overly..."

"Good. Then let's go out for dinner to celebrate." Her mom said getting her car keys and purse.

Kagome was pushed back out the door to the small car that they owned. They all piled in and her mom started the ignition. They drove to the other side of Tokyo to go to a small Chinese restaurant that was known for its excellent food and high prices.

They ordered a good sized meal and her mom muttered something to the waiter. The waiter got a huge grin on his face and rushed off.

They ate all the wonderful dishes and sat back with sighs of content. The waiter came back with four fortune cookies and gave one to each of them.

Kagome eagerly open hers. She loved fortune cookies. 'A good friend will visit in the next week,' said the slip of paper. She chuckled and tucked it into her purse. Her mum shooed them off to the car with the keys and went to deal with the bill.

Kagome sighed again happily sitting in the dark back seat. Her mom came out a minute later and they drove home.

Kagome went to bed early feeling quite satisfied. The last thing she saw before she fell asleep was the Shikon Jewel shards.

MEANWHILE

The break was complete. Kagome had gone home, Shippo had run off because he, Inuyasha, had been cruel, Sango had ran when Miroku let his hands wander, and now Miroku had left when he had called him a whole bunch of names. Of course all he had called the pervert were true. When Sango had ran off he had gone womanizing and Inuyasha had whaled on him when he'd come back to Kaede's. Miroku had then left after calling him a whole bunch of mean names.

Now that they were completely split Inuyasha was feeling an emotion he wasn't familiar with; regret. He wanted to patch things up with the rest but knew that he wouldn't be able to. There was only one person he knew that could do it and she was the first he had pushed away.

But yet he knew that's what he had to do. He had severed the circle that was made by himself, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kagome and it was his responsibility to fix it. If not directly then indirectly.

He exited Kaede's house full of purpose. No one called out to him or tried to stop him as he swept down the road towards the bone-eaters well. The trees closed over his head and a sense of foreboding filled him. A strange scent had been in the air the last few days that he had ignored but now couldn't help paying attention to.

He sniffed the air and knew immediately what it was. A demon! But this demon had a weird smell. It smelled of disharmony which was a state not a smell.

He shivered at the dampness that seemed to ice his spine. He quickened his pace hand rested on the hilt of his sword Tetsusaiga. He reached the well and peered down to make sure that Kagome hadn't appeared.

Glancing quickly over his shoulder he dropped into the well wearing an expression of someone dropping to their doom.

And like all his friends before him he failed to see the black face with its ebony black teeth bared in a cruelly delighted smile.

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I decided I wasnt going to wait for reviews on my last chapter. If you like it though I would love feedback. R&R Thanx 


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